1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a garment having improved contact areas and, more specifically, to a garment which includes one or more relatively high-friction areas to resist sliding of, for example, protective pads worn over the garment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many different athletics and activities require that a participant wear protective pads. For example, football, lacrosse and hockey players and participants in other contact sports, as well as baseball umpires, wear elaborate padding systems under their uniforms. Similarly, soldiers and other security personnel often wear body armor. Protective pads of all types are generally at least partially made of plastic for strength and lightness, but may be uncomfortable when worn next to a user's bare skin because of the plastic's stiffness and lack of breatheability. Also, ambient conditions may cause a user to desire an extra layer of clothing, which commonly must not alter the outside appearance of the user's uniform. For at least these reasons, it is common for users to wear clothing underneath protective pads.
Recently, many manufacturers have marketed specialty underclothing for use underneath protective pads. This underclothing is often made of a synthetic material designed to reduce chafing from the plastic of the protective pads and to quickly wick away perspiration from the user's skin to keep the user dry. However, such synthetic material often has a smooth or even somewhat slippery texture and hence a very low coefficient of friction when contacting protective pads. Consequently, the protective pads may shift or slide from a desired position during rigorous use (such as during a football game) and therefore might fail to protect the user's body.
An example of a system for securing apparel to protective equipment is disclosed in U.S. Application Publication No. 2003/0115663, to Turner et al. (hereafter referenced as '663). Unlike the present invention, the '663 system is intended to prevent relative movement between outer apparel and underlying protective pads. However, even if the '663 apparel were located between the user's body and outer protective pads, several undesirable effects would occur.
First, the '663 system uses patches of hooked material (e.g., hook-side VELCRO®) to secure the protective pads, with the hook-side patch attached to the protective pad. The '663 hook-side patch of the protective pads mates with loops formed on the apparel. Therefore, protective pads must be adapted to work with the '663 system, and a user accordingly must take the time and effort to prepare equipment for use with the '663 system before achieving the non-slip benefits of the system. Also, if the '663 system were adapted as suggested above, the hooks of the hook-side patch might protrude through the material of the user's undergarment and scratch the user or opponent.
Second, while apparel, such as a football jersey, is generally relatively inexpensive and personal to one user, protective pads are much more expensive and might be shared by different users or borrowed for a game or for a season from a common pool, such as from a sports rental office. Therefore, the user is inconvenienced by having to remove the '663 hook-side patch from the protective pads to return the borrowed pads to their original condition if such is a requirement of the loan. Moreover, the '663 hook-side patches may be attached with single-use adhesive, which would require the user to purchase additional '663 hook-side patches or use inconvenient and messy replacement glues when using the hook-side patches of the '663 system with multiple sets of protective pads.
Finally, the '663 hook-side patches are made of a continuous piece of high-density material. Even if the protective pads themselves allowed for ventilation of the user's skin, such a continuous covering would instead promote and even trap perspiration next to the user's skin, thus causing user discomfort contrary to the intent of the perspiration-wicking undergarment.